Quotes from Rosalind Wiseman

Being a parent does not give you an excuse for bad manners.

You can't make someone be your best friend.

As an expert, I can deal with complex problems. As a mother it is much, much harder.

In my own family, my mother had my sister when I was 15 and for various reasons, I was extremely involved in raising her.

Mothers and fathers do really crazy things with the best of intentions.

I think that giving mindless praise is ridiculous. But I understand why parents do it. They want their kids to feel good about themselves. But parents are never going to teach their children true, positive self esteem by praising everything they do.

When I tell people I work to stop hazing in high schools I am almost always met with shocked expressions. 'High school? Really? I thought that was something that only arrogant frat guys do in college.' But it's true - as long as I have worked on preventing bullying in high schools, I have worked to prevent hazing.

Good home-school educational plans have the kids in groups with other children often and consistently. Because common sense dictates that isolating people is never good and home-schooled children really benefit from being in those type of programs.

Many kids who are bullied feel helpless. Sometimes, they think the only thing they can do is hope the problem will go away. But there are things you can do to get some control in the situation and it starts with developing a strategy and a support system.

Advancements in technology have become so commonplace that sometimes we forget to stop and think about how incredible it is that a girl on her laptop in Texas can see photos and cell phone video in real time that a young college student has posted of a rally he's at in Iran.

So many women keep their anger inside and let it build until they explode and then people blow them off again.

See, at a certain point it becomes cool to be boy crazy. That happens in sixth grade, and it gives you so much social status, particularly in an all-girls school, if you can go up and talk to boys.

As a teacher myself I've been in situations where parents come at you, and sometimes parents come across like the teacher doesn't want the best for their kid and it can be really, really hurtful.

I think that giving mindless praise is ridiculous. But I understand why parents do it. They want their kids to feel good about themselves. But parents are never going to teach their children true, positive self esteem by praising everything they do.

ou know chicks before dicks. Never choose a guy over a friend. It's one of the most important rules of feminism.

each person's truth is of equal value. No one gets to speak for anyone else or dismiss an opinion just because it's not shared by the people who have the most power.

It isn't enough to say "Be honest" or "Do the right thing," because in moments of conflict many of us lack the skills to move through the fear and put our values into action. The context of the situation really matters more than a catchphrase. What's way more useful for boys is to talk to them about what integrity looks like to you under duress.

Our children aren't stupid, and they're not naive. They see when adults around them act hypocritically. They see what we value and believe by our actions, not our words.

I urge every parent to become a Loving Hard-Ass Parent.

Time and time again, they all say the same thing. The worst punishment is losing your respect and disappointing you and taking away their ability to communicate with their peers.

For most teenage girls, guys are everything. Boys validate their existence; they define who they are and where they stand in the world. You can talk to boys differently than your girlfriends. Until they screw you over, they can be really fun and comforting.

Popularity doesn't mean people like you. It means people know you have power and it's not worth confronting you in a conflict. It's like having shiny armor that gives you protection to do what you want—plus some girls (especially the ones who like shiny things) think you're hot. Of course, what armor also does is hide your weaknesses. Before you realize it, you're so dependent on it that you feel like you always have to wear it.

And this is absolutely certain—teens will never stop coming up with new and creative ways to use technology to go after each other and the adults in the community.

17% of girls have experienced a physical attack… 97% of students report regularly hearing homophobic remarks by peers… 53% hear homophobic comments by teaching staff…